ACTA UNIVERSITATIS AGRICULTURAE ET SILVICULTURAE MENDELIANAE BRUNENSIS Volume LIX 28 Number 3, 2011 BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS OF THE CAGE-HOUSED BREEDING FLOCK OF PHEASANTS (PHASIANUS COLCHICUS) D. Zapletal, P. Suchý, E. Straková, F. Vitula, J. Kuchtík Received: December 1, 2010 Abstract ZAPLETAL, D., SUCHÝ, P., STRAKOVÁ, E., VITULA, F., KUCHTÍK, J.: Behaviour patterns of the cage- housed breeding fl ock of pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun., 2011, LIX, No. 3, pp. 215–220 The aim of this work was to investigate the behaviour patterns of a cage-housed breeding fl ock of pheasants during the day in the early stage of laying period, and evaluate the diff erences in behaviour patterns between male and female pheasants. Observations were carried out with a fl ock of common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) consisting of 1 male and 5 female pheasants aged 2 years that showed a minimum rate of aggression in the previous laying. Behaviour patterns of birds were studied using a 15-minute video recording taken at each hour during the day (from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.). The rates of activities such as feeding, movement, resting, scratching, preening, mating and aggression in female pheasants diff ered signifi cantly from those in the male, as observed throughout the day. The rate of feeding had 2 peaks in hens (in early morning and late evening). Generally, the feed intake in females was observed throughout the day whereas the male received feed less frequently but at a higher rate, particularly in the a ernoon. The highest rate of movement was observed for both male and female pheasants in morning hours followed by a decline in movement activities which was slow in hens and rapid in the cock, with the subsequent second peak before dark. Except for 7 a.m., resting was among behaviour patterns with the highest rate in both genders throughout day, with lower rates in females as compared to the male. The stereotype behaviour was observed in hens more frequently, with a peak in a period from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. The highest frequency of mating was observed in the evening a er 7 p.m. pheasants, sex, captive breeding, battery cages, ethology, diurnal rhythm As in other countries, the substantial number of Creating the optimum environment for animals raised breeding pheasants in the breeding season is a key prerequisite for animal welfare. In poultry is housed in cage systems in Czech pheasantries raising, the results of production performance, (Zapletal et al., 2010). Keeling and Gonyou (2001) health and behaviour patterns in birds document have reported that the housing of domestic hens in to which extent the respective conditions of conventional cages with higher stocking densities husbandry satisfy the needs of animals. Positive is associated with decreased egg production, higher results in poultry husbandry cannot be achieved mortality rate, more cases of feather pecking and without thorough knowledge of poultry behaviour cannibalism, and increased fearfulness. When (Appleby et al., 2004). pheasants are housed in conventional cage- Current scientifi c literature contains hardly any systems, the situation is similar in some respects. data describing the details of behavioural patterns Such pheasants may show behavioural disorders in pheasants housed in battery cages in the breeding that o en result in various forms of aggression season. The aim of our study was to investigate the and cannibalism, seldom causing signifi cant behavioural patterns of a cage-housed breeding deterioration of health status or even death. fl ock of pheasants during the day in the early stage 215 216 D. Zapletal, P. Suchý, E. Straková, F. Vitula, J. Kuchtík of the laying period, and to identify respective other activities that could aff ect the behaviour of diff erences in behaviour patterns between male and birds were carried out in respective premises for female pheasants. laying technologies outside the recording. The main aim of the monitoring was to obtain MATERIAL AND METHODS an objective video recording of birds’ behaviour throughout the light day, i.e. from 7:00 a.m. until 7:15 p.m. In principle, the camera recorded Animals used and experimental design 20-minute segments at the beginning of every The monitoring of ethological activities of hour (i.e. at 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., etc.). pheasants was performed in 2009 in the Jinačovice The whole video recording taken throughout the pheasantry, which is a special establishment of day was subsequently transformed into the digital the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical form and edited by removing the fi rst two minutes Sciences Brno. Observations were carried out in from each recorded segment in order to eliminate a breeding group of common pheasants (Phasianus the possibility of infl uencing the birds’ behaviour colchicus) consisting of 1 male and 5 hens aged 2 years because of the camera manipulation. To normalize (i. e. in their second laying period). All pheasants the length of a particular evaluated segment in showed a very good level of nutrition at the end of every hour only a 900-second video recording was the previous laying period and a minimum rate of used. Resultant edited and labelled recordings taken aggressive forms of behaviour in the previous laying at individual hours were combined on a DVD to period which made them a suitable reproduction evaluate the behaviour patterns in pheasants. group for ethological observation. On the basis of our observation in the previous years we found that Monitored behaviour patterns in pheasants the occurrence of aggressive behaviour patterns The behaviour patterns evaluated in both genders during a breeding period is less frequent at the at particular daily hours are listed in Tab. I. Besides beginning of the breeding season, therefore the behaviour patterns mentioned in Tab. I, female observation was carried out in this time. For the pheasants also showed “escape”, i.e. a physical reason of pheasants’ complete adaptation to the new activity associated with an attempt of an individual housing system the observation was carried out on to escape from the attack, whereas the male showed Day 16 a er the pheasants were housed in the laying “crowing-call” (i.e. very loud, sudden, thick-voiced, cage (16 April 2009). and harsh call followed by a brief, loud, wing- The housing system consisted of a 2-tier cage drumming sound) and “courtship” (the male’s battery. Pheasants to be monitored were placed behaviour to arouse the hen’s interest to mate – the on the upper tier, approximately in the middle cock walks with short steps towards the female, of a row of cages. The laying cage was equipped turns his side to the female and shows his sexual with a wire-fl oor, fi ve automatic nipple drinkers, traits extended, with his body feathers being fl uff ed a trough feeder located in front of the cage’s front out, with the tail and back feathers being shi ed wall with the manual administration of feeds. The towards the female, with the nearer wing being dimensions of the cage were as follows: length – drooped and with the tail spread and vibrating). 200 cm, depth – 85 cm, back height – 58 cm and front The duration of all above-mentioned activities height – 70 cm. The fl oor had a slope towards the was recorded in seconds within individual front cage’s wall to enable the collection of laid eggs. 15-minute sequences taken at each hour, followed Perches, laying nests, claw-shortening devices and by calculating the respective portions in per cent. litter for dust-bathing were not part of the cage. The Ethograms of individual female pheasants were pheasants were only fed with the pelleted feeding evaluated followed by calculating the average mixture BŽN (ADW Agro a. s.). The feed was given duration of particular behaviour patterns in all hens into the feed trough a day before in the evening in within the evaluated hours. suffi cient quantity for the whole next day, during the monitoring only a part of feed was given in the Statistical analysis a ernoon. Lighting was only ensured by day light, Statistical evaluation was performed by the the particular day of the experiment was bright Statistica version 9.0 using the Yates corrected -2 and sunny. The outside temperature at 1.00 pm was test to compare the duration of particular behaviour 17 °C. patterns (in seconds) related to the total, constant The monitoring of ethological activities of duration of a particular sequence (900 s) taken at pheasants was based on a video recording obtained each hour. using the Canon MV5i camera permanently attached to a tripod placed at the solid, constant point during observation, approximately in the middle of the RESULTS AND DISCUSSION front wall and in a distance of 1.6 metre from the The frequency of evaluated behaviour patterns cage. In order to prevent a potential infl uence of the in female pheasants in 15-minute segments at presence of the camera on pheasants’ behaviour, individual hours is provided in Tab. II. The rate of the camera with the tripod was placed at the point feeding was relatively higher in morning hours, 3 days before observation. All working and any as indicated in evaluated segments. However, it Behaviour patterns of the cage-housed breeding fl ock of Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) 217 I: Monitored behaviour patterns in both genders Behaviour pattern Description all activities at the feeding trough; feed intake, pecking at or manipulating both the feeding Feeding trough and the feed, whether or not the feed was consumed all activities at the drinking